Reduce Stress and Absences
from Haworth.com
Does a connection to nature in the workplace affect your bottom line?
The University of Oregon discovered that 10% of employee absences could be attributed to architectural elements that did not connect with nature, and that a person’s view was the primary predictor of absenteeism. They tracked employees with like responsibilities and workload and compared their attendance over time to find that the employees with no views to nature took more sick days. How crazy is that?
Beyond attendance, something as simple as access to light makes employees happier. Research shows that happy employees feel more valued. And employees who feel valued are more likely to stay with their current employer, which makes the business case for decreased employee retention costs. Often just 13-15 minutes of exposure to natural light is enough to trigger the release of endorphins or “happy hormones”—an effect that can counter the consequences of Seasonal Affective Disorder.